Audio-visual Materials in the Librarv

I T IS WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE MEMORY Of most librarians when there was little consideration given to the place of audio-visual materials in the Iibrary program, since the sole function of the library was construed to be the dissemination of knowledge through the medium of the printed word. Today almost all libraries are making some use of audio-visual materials, in the form of microfilm, filmstrips, 16 mm. films, tape recorders, phonograph records or ceiling projectors. Audio-visual materials are now recognized as another medium of communications, and are incorporated into the service program of most libraries. As the result of intriguing electronic developments, librarians are now standing at the threshold of a new era wherein these devices will assume a far more important function in the operation of the library. The foIIowing paragraphs will view the present situation with a brief glance at the already predictable future. One of the most pronounced trends has been the establishment of audio-visual centers in many libraries, occasionally including both the art and music departments as major subdivisions. These centers offer an extensive collection of audio-visual catalogs and guides, films, filmstrips, phonograph records, and such facilities as preview booths, listening rooms, tape recorders, opaque projectors and other audio-visual devices. With the increasing number of states requiring audio-visual instruction as part of the certification requirement, many colleges and universities are offering courses in the field. There is a sharp divergence in thinking on the subject of the library’s responsibility in the audiovisual field. One faction holds that the material is not within the library’s bailiwick, while those librarians who are engaged in the work feel a natural affinity toward the subject. The audio-visual center as a department of the library has proved most successful in many large operations.